Birds worshipped the morning and the sun rose in its all its golden glory. Children started to weave their ways out of their homes with their mothers. As did all the young, beautiful maidens in the village. But Bella was not a beauty. Not even a single bone in her wretched body decided to venture out in the open.
She sat by the stove in the cozy home that belonged to her mother, grinding blue berries to mold them into a paste of thick jam. The bread was almost ready, she was careful that she put the breakfast on the table before her mother woke up but she often got late in doing so. Mornings like these would start with harsh compliments on Bella’s dark skin tone or an emphasis on the mole that she harbored by her upper lip. Sometimes, she even heard a word or two about her crooked nose and thin lips.
Bella’s mother would only comfort her by saying that this was not how she thought; she was merely passing on the words that the womenfolk of the town uttered often. But the words still stung, regardless of who spoke them, everyone meant them and nobody knew this better than Bella herself. And she knew, she had found a way of looking into the people’s eyes and see a reflection of disgust stare back at her. Even though any of this was not new for her yet she always felt fresh hurt when someone looked at her. Because even the stares had a voice of their own, mute yet distinct.
Amidst the derogatory remarks about her broad stature and thin, rough hair, Bella has silenced herself forever. Nobody ever heard her talk. Fortunately for today, she had prepared and left the breakfast onto the small wooden table and left the area, as her mother made her way outside.
Since Bella could not share the workload with her mother, her mother often ended up agitated due the plethora of chores that she had to look after. Although, Bella did the cooking and the cleaning along with the dishes, her mother thought that it was never enough. Sometimes, as the nightfall approached Bella also sneaked into the backyard to wash the clothes. Only one thing nagged Bella a lot and it was the future that burned her inside out.
Bella was not sure that her aging, weak mother would be able to continue to get the food from the market or feed the hens any longer. The poor lass feared that ultimately she would have to step out of the comfort of her thoughts into the narrow streets of the town, where she will be disrespected for her looks and physique. It was a day that the young girl truly feared. For both the mother and daughter knew that no man would marry the girl at all.
